Ankle supporter



u l, i923.

A. QUENZER ANKLE SUPPORTER l Filed Aug. 9 1922 Patented Dec. l, lQZ.

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BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ANKLE SUPPOETER.

Application le August 9 T 0 all 'w hom t may concern al u Be it known that I, ARTHURQUENZER, citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ankle Supporters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for sup-v porting and protecting the `ankles and the arches of the feet. `While it is especialy useful in case f a sprain or other injury to the foot or ankle, it is also Aan exceedingly important adjunct to the equipment of athletes and those engaging `in athletic sports.

One ofthe objects of my inventionis to e'iminate the leather front,"such as I eniployed in my prior Patents Nos. 921,563 and 1,027,897, which tends to become stiff and hard from perspiration and usage. A further object is to avoid the use of`sea1ns over the tender parts of the foot, to provide an entirely smooth covering around the ankle, increasing the amount of elasticit and causin a more even pressure to exerted throughout ythe supporter.. Furthermore, my present improvement provides a combined arch supporter and reducer for lthe ankle.

In the following description, l shall refer to the accompanylng drawings, in which- Fig. l is a perspective view showing my ankle supporter as it appears in position on the foot; Figs. 2 and 3 are side elevationsl of this supporter showin respectively the manner in which the ank e portion yields laterally and the arch portion yields downwardly; andFig. 4 is a side elevation of the supporter illustrating how the elastic yields to conform to the shape of the foot..

My improved ankle supporter comprises lan upper tubular ankle encircling member 5 made of a single integral piece of elastic knitted fabric formed with its longitudinally-extending warp-threads encircling the ankle, the ends of the fabric being united by a front binding tape 6 which may be formed int-o a loop 7 at the top, constituting a pul'.- ing tab; and an arch supporting member 8 comprising a single piece of elastic knitted fabric having its longitudinally-extending warp-threads encircling the arch of the foot, the ends of the fabric being bound to the lower edge of thel ankle member by means of` tapes 9 upon either side. By reason of this construction the ankle member 1922. Serial No. 580,605.

5 is elastic and yieldable in the direction of .the width of the ankle so that it will yield freey to any of its movements, at the same time exerting a constant, yelastic restraint which supports the muscles and ligaments preventing sprains and relieving fatigue. ikevyise,4 the elasticity of'- the arch member 8 permits it to conform closely to the configuration of the arch of the foot and exert -a constant upward pressure which af'- fords the necessary support, while at the vsaine time'yielding to everyv movement of the joints` and muscles. v

While the ankle" member yields to any movements of they ankle in the'direction of its width, "the fabric is absolutely unyieldin in the vertical direction so that it forms a rm and rigid support for the arch member across the instep. My present construction, therefore, possesses ail of the advantagesl of prior devices in which the front portion of the ankleinember was constructed of leather for the purpose of providing an unyielding support for the archmember,'and it possesses advantages not found in rior devices in that it provides a smooth yie ding elastic surface across the entire instep, affording greater freedom of movement, thereby adapting j it especially to athletic exercises and L ermitting this portion to yieldingly con orm to any irregularities or enlargements, such as ma be caused by sprains or other injuries. iile this region over the instep, which l have desi nated by the reference character 5a will yie; outwardly to any swellings or rominences, yet any downward strains, ue to the pull and movements' of the arch of the v member, is entirely new in ankle supportingVV devices. Moreover, the construction of an ankle supporter entirely of fabricmaterial and without any leather or the like which is subject to rapid deterioration and stiliening, is an improvement in devices of'this ffy; y 1,478,253

character which will be readily appreciated by those Who have had experience with bandages and ankle supporting devices. By reason of this construction also my ankle supporter presents a very neat appearance and may be used with low shoes to protect the ankle and to serve as an ankle reducer.

l daim:-

An improved ankle support and protector, Comprising an ankle member consisting of a single strip of elastic webbing yieldable only transversely of the ankle having its ends brought together and permanently united by a reinforcing tape extendingcentrally and longitudinally of the instep, and an arch member consisting of a single strip of longitudinally yieldable elastiewebbing secured to the bottom edge of the ankle member upon opposite sides by reinforcing tapes.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ARTHUR QUENZER. 

